Keychron K3 vs Logitech MX Keys Mini: Which should you buy?

Hello everyone, and welcome back for another post. Today, look at my two most recent favourite keyboards, the Keychron K3 and the Logitech MX Keys Mini. I love low-profile quiet typing, and these keyboards offer slightly different ways while producing satisfying clicks.

Keychron K3	MX Keys Mini
BUY NOW	BUY NOW
PROS	PROS
+ Full RGB backlighting. + Connects wirelessly. + Good typing quality. + Great build quality.	+ Great typing experience. + Compatible with most common operating systems. + Feels well-built. + Bright white backlighting.
CONS	CONS
– Doesn’t come with a wrist rest. – No dedicated software to remap keys. – Some function keys don’t work on mobile devices.	– Not compatible with Logitech unifying receiver. – USB receiver is sold separately. – No macro-programmable keys.

Keychron K3 vs Logitech MX Keys Mini: Specs

Keychron K3 vs Logitech MX Keys Mini: Build

1. Design

Regarding these two keyboards’ layouts, what I observe as being similar is that both have distinct clicky features. The Keychron K3 is quiet even though I have brown switches installed, so it gives me a tactile feel. Additionally, I possess red switches. These keyboards give me a really nice satisfying feel and a nice clicky sound, and even though the Logitech MX Keys mini does not have mechanical switches, they both have a tactile typing feel. I enjoy typing on both of these keyboards.

2. Key Caps

Another similarity between these keyboards is that they both have matte keycaps, making it easy to glide and slide between the keys while still making them grippy. The circular Dome on the MX Keys mini enables the fingers to touch the keys correctly and easily. The keys on the K3 are slightly curved, on the other hand, in their own version. This also aids in properly positioning the fingers on the keys, but the MX Keys mini’s larger keys make it more comfortable to type on, so I assume this is better for people with large hands or fingers.

3. Heights

The Keychron K3 is higher than the MX Keys mini in terms of height, but using the MX Keys mini is easier because my wrist is resting more comfortably on the desk. It also has a slightly more ergonomic body, making it more comfortable to type. The Keychron K3 has two levels of rubber feet to make it more ergonomic, but I don’t use it because I’m okay with a standard height. The Keychron K3 is higher but not that high, and I got used to typing on it without a wrist pad.

4. Backlights

Both have backlights, and the Keychron K3 mechanical keyboard has a tonne of lighting options because it is a mechanical keyboard. Although I can use F5 to dim or turn off the backlights and F6 to increase brightness, the lights are so dim that they are ineffective even with my desk lights on; they are only visible at night.

There are backlights on the Logitech MX Keys Mini, but they are only white and not RGB and can get quite bright. The MX Keys mini has a cool proximity sensor, so the lights will automatically turn on when my hands are close to it. However, I turn off the backlights of the MX Keys mini when I’m not using it to conserve battery life.

5. Battery Life

This brings up the following subject: the keyboards’ battery life. There is no battery indicator on the K3, and it will only let me know I need to charge when this tiny red light at the back of the device turns on. Keychron claims the K3 can last up to 70 hours when not using the backlights. From experience, I think that is a reasonable estimate of battery life. However, my usage occasionally varies as I occasionally accidentally touch the backlight button.

Since the backlights are dim, especially when I use my monitor Bar Light then, I don’t notice that the keyboard lights are on. I purchased this keyboard by the end of May of this year, and the battery was around 50%. Now that it’s almost time to charge, I’m confident that it will last a long time after fully charging this. Logitech states that the MX Keys Mini can last up to 5 months when the backlights are not turned on.

Keychron K3

1. Connecting The Devices

Let’s see how to pair these keyboards with various devices. To pair the Keychron K3, press and hold the function key while selecting one of the device switches. The key will light up blue and begin to slowly blink to signal that I’m ready to pair. Once I pair it up successfully, the blue light stops blinking, and I’m ready to go.

2. Toggle Switch for Windows/Android or Mac/iOS

One significant distinction between these two keyboards is that the Keychron K3 requires me to flick the switch at the back. As a result, if I use it with my iPad, I must remember to switch it to iOS or Mac. Similarly, if I use it with my work laptop, which is Windows, or if I use it with my new Samsung Tab S8, I must remember to switch it back to Windows or Android.

Logitech MX Keys Mini

1. Connecting The Devices

The Logitech MX case mini connects similarly but differently because I don’t have to press the function key; I can press and hold one of these parent switches here, and the indicator light will start blinking before the iPad, Windows or even Android asks for the pairing code. I enter the numbers as if nothing is happening, but something is happening in the background, and once I press enter, I’m connected.

2. Toggle Switch for Windows/Android or Mac/iOS

So unlike the Logitech MX Keys mini, there is no such thing, and I can immediately use this on my iPad, switch to my Windows laptop, and use it instantly. If I use it on my Tab S8, it is also automatically compatible with all of these operating systems.

3. Special Keys

Now that we’ve talked about the function keys, the Logitech MX Keys Mini has nearly standard function keys, so I’ll talk about the special buttons that set it apart from other keyboards. The first is the dedicated button for dictation, which functions well on the iPad.

The Emoji key, the second special button on the MX case mini, also functions well on my iPad and, this time, on Windows 2 when typing in Word or teams chat. It also functions on the Tab S8.

The last distinctive button is the mic mute or unmutes button, but I assume that is because Logitech claims that this must be enabled from the Logitech options app because it doesn’t work on the iPad or the Tab S8. While this app can be downloaded to a Windows laptop but not an iPad or Android device, I cannot do so because our IT administrator has restricted access.

How to use standard ‘fn’ keys?

1. Logitech MX Keys Mini

One cool feature many people will appreciate is that the MX Keys mini can be locked to work as function keys by pressing function + Esc. Then, F1 will function as F1, showing the help options in Word, for instance, or F2 will work in Excel to enter a cell, and so on.

2. Keychron K3

Concerning the Keychron K3, pressing the function + X + L on Windows or Android will activate the function keys. They advised changing it in the keyboard settings on Mac OS. Raycon K3 has function keys to adjust the screen brightness, so it functions well on my iPad and when I switch to Windows, it still functions well, but it only changes the brightness of the laptop display, not my external monitor. On the Samsung Tab S8, the brightness control also functions.

The F3 and F4 keys do not function on the iPad, but they do on Windows and the Samsung Tab S8. However, F4 operates differently on Windows and the Tab S8, opening my Gmail in the section below. The other keys are the media controls, the screenshot key, the delete key, and the button to turn on and adjust the various RGB lights. The keyboard backlights are controlled by the keys F5 and F6.

Conclusion

I hope you find this information useful so you can choose a keyboard based on your needs and which model is best for you because that is a lot of information.